Now Open in North Beach (from the Sons & Daughters Team): The Square

Newly open in the former Washington Square Bar & Grill is ~THE SQUARE~, the new project we mentioned last month from the Sons & Daughters team (Teague Moriarty and Matt McNamara). The menu is decidedly more casual and American than S&D—you’ll find bar snacks like pastrami-spiced rillette and baby artichokes ($10-$11), larger dishes like fried quail ($28) or a cheeseburger ($16), and a rack of baby back ribs ($43) or a whole roasted Dungeness crab for two ($54). The team said the quality and preparation of the ingredients will continue to be tops, but overall the experience will be more accessible.

The vibe of the space is intended to be comfortable and lively, sporting a communal table, counter seating at the copper-topped bar, and 90 seats in all. In the spirit of keeping things casual, a third of the seats will be kept for walk-ins. It has a handsome look, a bit American bistro-meets-modern tavern.

Sons & Daughters’ beverage and wine director Amy Racine has assembled a 65-bottle wine list, spanning classic varietals from California and Europe, plus here’s a beer menu you can check out as well. Cocktails offer a twist on the classics.

Dinner Wed-Sun 5pm-1am (yup, they’re gunning for late hours). Also interesting: looks like there’s a 15 percent service charge in effect. Must be a solution to combat the non-tipping tourists sure to visit, ha. Actually, the menu states the service charge is shared by the entire staff, so it’s a good way to take care of the kitchen (they do the same thing at S&D). 1707 Powell St. at Union, 415-525-3579.